Accidental Magic
by lilgenious
Summary: The consequences to his actions this time was an angry white swan.


_AN-This story was written for Camelot_drabble. This week's prompt was "mistake"._

_XxX_

It had been a mistake. Just one of those average, every day type follies that don't have any repercussions, right? The answer was no. Merlin was sure that he had just crossed the line, and that the consequences to his actions were going to be most severe.

The angry honk from the white swan in front of him seemed to correspond perfectly with his thoughts.  
>He bit his lip as he watched the bird for a few minutes. It wasn't as though it were his fault for what happened. At least, he thought it wasn't his fault entirely. Actually he had to admit to all of it. After all, the result of the worst mistake he had ever made was staring him right in the face; literally.<p>

"Can _you_ at least act like a real swan?" He hissed at the bird as several onlookers appeared fascinated by the uncharacteristic friendliness of the waterfowl.

In response to what he had said, the swan angrily flapped its wings and began to attack the bottom of Merlin's trousers while making obnoxiously loud honking noises. The sound and sight of a furious aquatic bird attracted far more attention than Merlin expected.

He sat down on a garden bench and looked resignedly towards a fountain that appeared as though it were made out of silver and gold. He looked towards the swan who had clucked sadly and looked down at itself before fixing a beady eye upon Merlin.

"I know that I am the most horrible friend ever," Merlin said softly as he looked fixedly towards the rose garden. "All you wanted to do was cheer me up, and in my anger I did something foolish."

The swan rested its head upon Merlin's knee and uttered a mournful sound.

He played with his hands as he brought his attention back to the bird. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat when he realised that the swan had a brown eye trained on him.

"Why is it that when something gets so ingrained into us that it makes it impossible for us to learn and be changed by what is around us?" Merlin asked. "Arthur has seen far more good magic than bad. Yet he remains adamant that everything to do with it is evil. Just because there are people like Morgana..." he trailed off. It was still painful to think about Morgana and her betrayal.

The swan honked softly in its throat as though it were urging Merlin to continue on.

"Morgana became bad because of her own free will." Merlin's voice sounded harsh even to his own ears. "That doesn't mean that every person that has magic is going to turn out to be like her."

The response that Merlin got from what he said was the swan flapping its wings as it honked indignantly. A smile tugged at his lips as he imagined what the bird was saying to him. It was just as the swan had quieted down and he was about to say something in response that the first sign of consequences showed up. Gaius had found them in the garden, and was steadily approaching Merlin's bench. The swan honked a warning and quickly tried to make it seem that it was natural for a swan to be in the garden.

"Arthur would like to see both you and Gwaine in his chambers immediately," Gaius said when he finally approached them. He searched Merlin's face as though looking for signs of guilt. When he found none, he looked around him instead, his eyes catching sight of the swan that was determinedly looking away from him. He turned to face Merlin suddenly suspicious. "Where _is_ Gwaine, Merlin? He's nowhere to be found. Sir Lancelot told me that he saw him with you."

Ashamed, Merlin looked away to avoid the question. His silence seemed to affirm Gaius' suspicions because when he took a chance to glance around him, his mentor had a horrified look on his face.

It seemed to take everything within Gaius to control himself. When he could finally speak, Merlin could hear the anger in his mentor's voice.

"I take it that _this_," he motioned to the swan that was now trying to make itself less obvious. "is Sir Gwaine."

The look of absolute horror on Merlin's face was answer enough for Gaius.


End file.
